AWS Solutions Architect Associate Certification
Services Management and Governance
Resource Explorer
In this lesson, we explore AWS Resource Explorer—a powerful tool designed to simplify the discovery and management of your AWS resources. With Resource Explorer, you can efficiently locate resources across regions, ensuring optimal resource management and cost attribution while reducing compliance risks.
Key Benefit
By centralizing resource management, Resource Explorer helps in generating insightful reports and streamlines audits, saving valuable time.
Overview of AWS Resource Explorer
Before the introduction of Resource Explorer, managing numerous AWS resources spread over various regions was both inefficient and error-prone. Without a centralized system, cost allocation to specific projects or departments was cumbersome, and inconsistencies in tagging and configurations raised compliance risks. Resource Explorer addresses these challenges by enabling users to locate resources using tags, keywords, and other metadata.
Setting up Resource Explorer is straightforward, requiring just a few minutes to enable and configure.
User Roles in Resource Explorer
There are two primary types of users for Resource Explorer:
Resource Explorer Administrator
The administrator is an IAM principal assigned the permissions necessary to manage Resource Explorer settings. Key responsibilities include:- Enabling Resource Explorer in AWS regions.
- Updating index types.
- Creating views.
- Granting search permissions.
Resource Explorer User
These users have permissions to perform searches for resources. They can utilize the AWS Management Console, SDKs, or CLI to locate and manage resources effectively.
Understanding Indexes in Resource Explorer
In Resource Explorer, an "index" is the collection of information about AWS resources within a specific region. There are two types of indexes:
- Local Index: Exists within a single AWS region.
- Aggregator Index: Compiles local indexes from all regions where Resource Explorer is enabled.
Consider a scenario where an administrator has enabled Resource Explorer in three AWS regions and selects the AP South Mumbai region as the aggregator index:
Each region with a local index automatically replicates its data to the designated aggregator index (in this example, AP South Mumbai). For instance, both US East 1 and EU West 2 replicate their local indexes to AP South 1. As a result, users query the aggregator index in AP South 1 to access consolidated information from all enabled regions.
Benefits of AWS Resource Explorer
AWS Resource Explorer offers several key advantages:
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Unified Resource Search | Easily locate resources across all regions with one centralized search tool. |
| No Additional Charges | Resource Explorer is free to use, eliminating extra costs. |
| Time Efficiency | Quickly identify and manage resources from a single, centralized location. |
| Eliminates Custom Solutions | No need to develop and maintain a custom search infrastructure. |
| Enhanced Console Experience | The unified search function in the AWS Management Console simplifies administration. |
Final Thoughts
AWS Resource Explorer is a robust solution for efficient resource management. Its centralized approach not only simplifies operations but also ensures that administrators can monitor and manage assets across multiple regions with ease.
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